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2026 Best Value Agricultural Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[Agricultural Economics](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-economics-business/agricultural-economics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for agricultural economics students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Agricultural Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

2026 Best Value Agricultural Economics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agricultural economics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Agricultural Economics Schools

1

University Of Maryland College Park
College Park, MD

$11,809 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,000 Avg Student Debt

$82,860 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Maryland College Park tops our 2026 list of the best value agricultural economics schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,809, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. Agricultural Economics graduates carry a median of $20,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agricultural economics degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park generally make around $53,081. That is a strong return on a $20,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 45%.

2

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

$69,314 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,258 Avg Student Debt

$104,043 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in agricultural economics will find it at Cornell University, which ranked #2. Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. In-state tuition and fees average $69,314. Agricultural Economics graduates carry a median of $13,258 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agricultural economics degree recipients from Cornell University generally make around $92,163. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.

View All Agricultural Economics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.